


Forgotten Constellations

by Bythoseburningembers



Series: When supernovas collide [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Keith (Voltron) is Bad at Feelings, Multi, Platonic Relationships, Space Dad Shiro (Voltron), Team Voltron Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-20
Updated: 2018-11-20
Packaged: 2019-08-26 02:49:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16673296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bythoseburningembers/pseuds/Bythoseburningembers
Summary: Today is Keith's Birthday, and Shiro procures the assistance of the others to deliver a present long in coming.





	Forgotten Constellations

  “This is probably impossible. Like, ninety-nine percent certain it won’t,” Pidge warned, for the fifth time that night. Shiro let his lips curl slightly as he stood over her shoulder, eyes lightly skimming the plethora of numbers and symbols that streamed up and down the screen. He couldn’t watch for too long without becoming dizzy. He wasn’t sure how Pidge didn’t succumb to nausea every day.

  “I have faith in you,” he assured her, once again. Pidge mumbled something beneath her breath, hunching further into her chair as she squinted at the numbers.

  “You know,” she began again, cautiously. “I don’t dislike this idea. I think its sweet. But we’re at least a few galaxies away from Earth, right? There’s no guarantee that it will even come through or else we’d all have contacted loved ones a long time ago…” Shiro sighed and squirmed in place, arms crossed.

  “Katie.”

  “I’m just saying.”

  “Listen, if it doesn’t work, then fine. But…”

  “Shiro, the world thought you, my dad and Matt were dead,” she reiterated, voice cracking slightly on the word.

  Shiro squeezed the back of her neck. “They’re not,” he reminded her gently.

  Pidge plowed on as if he had never spoken, but her shoulders did loosen a bit. “It’s highly unlikely any paperwork associated with your name was kept at all. Especially since no one told Keith,” she pointed out. That was the same worry Shiro had. He had dropped a few hints about the papers over the past few months; and received only blank stares. Besides, he knew Keith. He would only have been able to keep quiet on the subject so long before he inevitably asked Shiro _why?_ That question would wrench Shiro’s heart, even after all these years, but first he had to present the stupid boy with his damn adoption papers.

  Pidge was trying her hardest to lock unto any Earth wifi signal and hack into Child Protective Services database. The legal paperwork had to be there somewhere if it was ever accepted. That was all Shiro wanted to know. Keith’s Birthday was today, and while Lance distracted him with training (Shiro dreaded to know how that was going) Hunk was leading Coran and Allura in preparing a small dinner. He was supposed to be wrapping presents with Pidge (he doubted that would end well either) but first he had to get his present for Keith.

  When he did not answer, Pidge sighed. “I just don’t want you to get your hopes up,” she mumbled.

  Shiro nodded. “Also, you realize that if you adopt Keith then me, Hunk and Lance will also be expecting you to adopt us.” That drew a short laugh from him.

  “You three already have parents,” he pointed out.

  In order to secure Pidge’s help and silence with this project, he had been forced to reveal Keith’s status as an orphan. The youngest Paladin’s eyes had wilted with sympathy before hardening. _“Well, he won’t ever be alone again after this, will he?”_ She had harrumphed. Shiro wasn’t sure what objections Keith -naturally a loner anyway- might have, but it didn’t matter now. He agreed.

  Pidge gave him a bland look over her shoulder, glasses glinting against the light of stars and numbers. Shiro doubted his thoughts on the matter would be appreciated if she ever found out, but when Pidge was like this, behind a screen with her beloved numbers flashing in steely or limpid eyes, she was beautiful. “Shiro, last week you grounded Lance for inappropriate behavior, then promptly spent three hours listening to him compare skin creams to make up for being ‘harsh,” the air quotes were distinctly sarcastic.

  “The kid does know a lot about skin cream,” he grumbled, remembering how bored out of his mind he had been listening to the difference in oil-based lotions and water-suffused substances. However, Lance hadn’t looked quite so crestfallen about Shiro’s displeasure afterwards, so he had counted it as a win.

  Pidge rolled her eyes. “You never refuse when Hunk flashes his puppy dog eyes and begs you to try his new recipes even though we’re all aware you don’t care so long as its edible. You’re scarily protective over me, which I am _not_ encouraging by the way. I can take care of myself,” she jabbed a finger beneath his nose. Shiro held up his hands pacifically.

  “I know, Pidge…”

  “You and Keith have telepathy or whatever. And you probably find ways to mother-hen Allura and Coran too. If you aren’t our space dad, then you’re at least our space big brother. I want adoption papers.” He laughed again. The younger Paladins tended to have that effect on him.

  “They’re just a formality, Pidge…”

  “I’m formal.”

  “Would you stop?” He playfully shoved her face back to the screen. She went, sniffing contemptuously but he had managed to make her grin. “And I am too young to be a dad. So I guess that does make me space big brother, or uncle or… It doesn’t matter. I like watching out for you all. Keeps me calm.”

  “I stand corrected: you’re a grandpa. I’m gonna get you a cane for your Birthday.” He shook his head fondly. It had only been a few months since they had embarked on this journey, and admittedly he supposed he had taken his role as eldest a little too seriously at times. _But it does keep me calm,_ he rationalized. _If I’m taking care of them, then I don’t have time to focus on…_ His eyes strayed to his prosthetic. He flinched.

  “Have you found the papers yet?”

  “Almost… The signal is pretty weak, but I _am_ a genius… Almost… Ok, it’s coming through! Or I hope this is it, because we’re going to lose connection in three… Two… One… Gotcha!” Shiro quickly veered as she punched a celebratory fist into the air, nearly taking off a chunk of his nose in the process. He leaned over her shoulder as the screen started to load, heart pounding.

  _C’mon… C’mon… I know Adam must have saved it if it did…_ The thought of his former fiancé sent a pang through his chest, but he squashed it down in favor of reading the screen. When it had fully loaded, a bluish tinged paper popped into sight. Pidge leaned forward, her head temporarily blocking the view. “Ha! Ha!” She shrieked before Shiro could read it for himself. “I did it! It’s here!” He grinned.

  “Good job, Pidge,” he breathed once he had verified for himself. There it was. His signature and everything, dated nearly two years earlier. “I knew you could do it. Thank you so much.” Keith was going to _flip out._

  “Huh, so we can pick up a minuscule Earth signal... I wonder if we could broadcast back..." Pidge tapped her chin thoughtfully, eyes glossing over as she contemplated the possibility. Shiro squeezed her shoulder.

  "If there's a way, we'll find it," he swore, thinking of his grandparents and maybe Adam... Did he even want them to know he was alive? It was entirely possible he could die fighting Zarkon anyway. _A problem for another day,_ he decided.

  Pidge shook her head. "Let’s print it,” she replied. Shiro hadn’t thought of that.

  “Is there even a printer on this ship?” he asked.

  Pidge nodded and hopped from her seat to regard him cheerily. “Yep. Looks weird, though. Kinda like an ice cream machine. But I know how to work it,” her eyes softened. “This is really cool, Shiro. I know Keith is going to be ecstatic.”

  He gave a humble half shrug, trying to hide the way his cheeks were beginning to burn from grinning. He could just imagine Keith’s expression. He suddenly couldn’t wait for the dinner tonight. “Like I said, it’s only a formality. He’s technically nineteen now, so I don’t have any real power.”

  “When you adopt me, I’ll pretend to let you have real power.” He chuckled and reached out to grab her in a gentle headlock, ruffling her hair affectionately. Pidge sputtered and clawed at his arm.

  “Yeah, but don’t you already do that, genius?” He teased.

  “Let go of me, you weirdo!”

  “Nope,” he replied, nabbing her around the waist so he could position her beneath his arm like a football. Pidge’s indignant shout echoed through the Bridge. “Ouch! Pidge!” He yelped when she pinched his arm hard enough to draw blood. Shiro shook his head and gave her a gentle shake. “Behave, Pidge. Like you said, I’m a space dad. I can’t help but tease you. You’re my youngest.”

  “I take it back! You’re not a space dad. You’re a space _asshole!_ ” Shiro just laughed.

  “Now you’re getting it.”

* * *

 

When Lance had volunteered to distract Keith, Shiro hadn’t been _concerned,_ per se. He had been… Cautious.

  For some reason he didn’t want to delve into, those two seemed to have a rivalry that bordered between playful fondness and worrying envy. At first it had just seemed like Lance disliked Keith for some reason, but then Keith had begun to retaliate with his usual stoic acerbity. So Shiro was slightly surprised when both made it to the kitchen alive. It also seemed that whatever distraction Lance had concocted for the day must have worked because Keith was genuinely flabbergasted when he walked into the kitchen that night.

  “Oh,” he peeped, eyes wide. To his right, Lance was leaning against the doorway, laughing hysterically. Shiro exchanged a glance with Pidge and Hunk, who also had expressions of pleased disbelief. In hindsight, maybe it hadn’t been the best idea to jump from hiding with a screamed _“Surprise!”_ when Keith entered, the lights shuttering to full brightness suddenly. But Hunk had wanted to introduce the tradition to Allura and Coran, of whom had perhaps been the most enthusiastic shouters.

  Suffice to say, Keith instantly dropped into a defensive stance in front of Lance. In his fingers, a long knife had flashed to life, seemingly pulled from thin air and pointed directly at Coran. Keith straightened, cheeks burning red as he flicked the knife away. “Um… What’s this?” He asked.

  Lance, still giggling uncontrollably, wrapped an arm around Keith’s shoulders. “Its your Birthday party, dude,” he chuckled, swiping away a tear. “Today was your Birthday,” Keith blinked a few times, and Shiro bit back a laugh of his own at the pure befuddlement on his face.

  “Oh. Ah, thanks?” He glanced helplessly at Shiro, obviously at a loss for how to react. Shiro shrugged in a _go with the flow_ gesture. Either the others didn’t notice his awkwardness or ignored it because Keith was suddenly surrounded by well-wishers.

  “I made you the best space dinner in the galaxy, if I do say so myself,” Hunk said, as he and Pidge guided Keith to the seat at the head of the table.

  “But first,” Lance declared, swooping forward with a covered platter in one hand. He set it before Keith with an exaggerated bow. “Your Birthday cake, sir.”

  “Lance!” Shiro scolded.

  “Oh c’mon Shiro! We’re heroes of the galaxy! Surely we deserve dessert first just this once?” Lance begged. Gentle hands grasped his elbow. Shiro looked down to see Allura standing at his side, a soft smile on her face.

  “On Altea, we would let the children taste their sweets before consumption. As a rite of passage, you see,” she agreed. Shiro glanced down at her; and couldn’t help but melt beneath the sadness in her eyes. Allura would never celebrate a birthday with her people again.

  “I am not a child. I’m nineteen,” Keith grumbled, though he was eyeing the platter curiously.

  “Alright, fine. This one time,” before he had even finished the sentence, Hunk was handing Keith a fork and raising the cover. Below, a three-tier cake with multiple drawings of planets, constellations and a sloppy configuration of Keith’s name popped out. Shiro cringed. It looked as if a four-year-old had been given markers and told to draw the night sky. _It didn’t look that bad last night_ , he thought.

  Keith just barked a laugh. “Wow, guys,” he breathed, eyes twinkling. “It’s a masterpiece.”

  “Isn’t it?” Lance simpered. “Look, I drew the Milky Way for you,” he pointed to a random spattering of white and yellow dots to the left.

  Hunk snorted and crossed his arms smugly. “You see that Andromeda buddy? All me.”

  “Well, I dotted out the Three Kings,” Pidge sniffed.

  Keith nodded. “Shiro? What’d you draw?”

  “Your name.”

  “Shiro was very uncreative,” Lance whispered into Keith’s ear dramatically. “Go on. Try it. It’s double chocolate chip with strawberry cream filling,” Keith smirked.

  “I wonder who told you those are my favorite flavors,” Shiro pretended to look around as if searching for the culprit. Allura giggled against his side. “How long have you guys been planning this?” Keith wondered as he pierced a portion of the cake with his fork.

  “We started planning last week. We began cooking and stuff this morning,” Pidge explained.

  “Well, its really nice…. What the hell!? This is good! What’d you guys put in this?” Keith cried, shocked. His eyes rolled back in his head as he slumped in the seat, fork securely in his mouth. He instantly went to jab another chunk out of it, but Shiro grabbed the platter and moved it away before he could.

  “Language. Besides, you have to eat dinner first,” he said.

  “Shiro give me back my cake! I’m an adult!” Lance and Pidge broke into titters while Shiro rolled his eyes.

  “Ok.”

  “Coran helped me make it,” Hunk explained as they began introducing real plates of food to the table. “He helped me make all this stuff. We were thinking that one day, when we defeat Zarkon and everything, we’d start our own intergalactic cooking show,” Coran nodded excitedly.

  “We have yet to title it,” he agreed. “But it will be magnificent!”

  “I don’t doubt it,” Keith replied sincerely. Hunk glowed. Shiro finally took a seat to Keith’s right. Pidge sat at his side with Coran while Lance, Hunk and Allura piled into the seats across from them. They began their habitual bickering, yelling and conversations then.

  Hunk and Coran regaled the table with stories about their hunt for Earth-like herbs, spices and foods. _“Seriously, Keith, there was this thing that had tentacles and moved like a squid but tasted like cherries. I’m not even joking you.”_

  Lance then explained how he had kept Keith busy all day, alternating between driving him halfway out of his mind and exploring the Castle. _“We found a pool that isn’t on the ceiling somewhere on level thirty-nine or something like that. Keith wanted to come back to the kitchen for a snack, so I had to think of something…”_

_“So he tried to drown me.”_

_“I pushed him in the pool! Genius, right?”_

  Then Allura and Coran, at the prompting of curious stares and questions, began telling stories about Altean Birthday rituals. Some of which were understandable and others… Weren’t. _“As you get older, they become more dangerous. For my two-hundredth year I had to swallow an entire blooping-trossom whole!”_

_“My first Birthday I spent at a bershirch farm. It was so peaceful… Well, until my father was forced to fight off a hive of angry hycin.”_

  Finally, Shiro and Pidge explained how they had spent two hours unsuccessfully attempting to wrap Keith’s presents before finally admitting defeat. _“So, if you’re wondering why they’re kinda just… Under a blanket, its cause me and Shiro gave up.”_

  Keith grinned at him. “I didn’t think you knew how to give up.”

  Shiro merely shrugged, suddenly self-conscious. “I’ve accepted my apparent imperfections,” he supposed. The stories continued until only bones and stray pieces of vegetables lay scattered across the table. Shiro leaned back in his seat, tipping his head against the back. His stomach was heavy, straining against the confines of his shirt.

    Keith slipped off his jacket, obviously feeling the same. “This was a great dinner, Hunk, Coran. Thank you,” he told them gratefully.

   Hunk gave him a lazy grin and high-fived Coran. “Cooking masters extraordinaire! Yes!”

  “ _Now_ can we have more cake?” Lance begged Shiro.

  “And presents, we mustn’t forget those,” Allura added. Cake forgotten, Hunk, Pidge and Lance scrambled from their chairs to collect their separate gifts. Shiro smiled as the mice scampered up his arm and nuzzled his neck.

  Keith squirmed. He had withstood the attention so far, but now he looked uncomfortable again. “You guys really didn’t need to get me…”

  “Too late. Shut up and open mine first,” Lance interrupted, setting his down before Keith. “I had the good sense to put it in a box,” he added, giving Shiro and Pidge a dubious look.

  “Hey! We tried our best, ok?” Pidge snapped. Keith just shook his head, grumbling good-naturedly as he peeled back the many, many layers of tape that covered the box.

  When finished, he tenderly opened the flaps, and promptly snorted with amusement. “Lance… What the hell?”

  Lance crossed his arms, pleased. “Hey, everyone needs décor for their lion.” Keith shook his head and held up a pair of red, fuzzy dice. On one face of each, there was a flashing screen. Shiro dimly registered the words _pinch me, I’m in a giant flying lion right now_ sizzle across the screen.

  “It’s very… Creative, Lance,” he supposed, carefully watching Keith’s face. It alternated between delight and curiosity so Shiro took it as a win.

  “Where the heck is he supposed to even hang those up?” Pidge demanded.

  “Beats me,” Lance leveled a stern glare in Keith’s direction. “But I’ll know if you don’t, so you’d better figure it out.”

  “Are you joking me? There’s no way I’m _not_ putting these in one of my windows. Imagine what the Galra will think,” Keith assured him, grinning. They all chuckled at the thought. “Thank you, Lance. I mean that.”

  “Yeah, yeah… I’m still the better pilot.”

  Shiro prepared himself to interrupt another argument, but Keith just shrugged and nodded. “True,” Lance looked as if he had just been socked in the face. “Hunk, let’s see what we’ve got buddy.”

  “It’s a storage container,” Hunk explained shyly when Keith pulled out a simple clear box only slightly bigger than a book. “Kinda like a thermostat but for food. It’ll keep whatever’s inside good for up to three years. I figure you can keep your cake in it and carry it around with you?”

  Keith’s eyes widened. “You mean I get to keep eating that cake for three more years? You’re my favorite person in the galaxy right now Hunk.” A mischievous smile twisted Hunk’s lips.

  “I surpassed Shiro?”

  “Hell yeah.” Shiro was secretly overjoyed to have been surpassed, but he pretended to be disappointed anyway.

  “I suppose it had to happen eventually, and if it had to be anyone, I’m glad it was you Hunk,” he said.

  “Open mine next, Keith!” Allura cried excitedly. “You’ll love it!”

  “None of you have let me down so far,” Keith replied, something in his face softening at Allura’s sincere enthusiasm. Shiro had never expected those words to come from Keith’s lips so readily. He folded his hands in front of his mouth to hide the way his lips trembled. Damn it, when had these kids dug so deep beneath his skin?

  Keith pulled out a long piece of cloth. It looked like simple mesh, colored light brown and wispy to the touch. “What is it?” Keith wondered.

  Allura smiled gently. “It’s an interactive constellation chart. Imagine any planet, any star, and it will show you that place. If you put it on your ceiling, you can see any corner of the galaxy you wish. You have so few things in your room. I thought it would liven the place up some.”

  “Allura… That’s incredible. Thank you so much.” Allura leaned back in her seat, looking so pleased that she could have been the one receiving gifts.

  Her hands twined with Coran’s. “My father created it when I was an infant. I thought you’d like it.” Keith’s eyes widened in astonishment. His fingers tightened in the cloth.

  “No! If this was a gift from your father…”

  “Then it is my honor to pass it along to someone worthy,” for a moment, Shiro thought he saw tears in Keith’s eyes. He quickly ducked his head to hide it, but the strain in his voice was palpable.

  “I… I know what this means. I can’t thank you enough.” Shiro squeezed his knee beneath the table. He wished, not for the first time, that Keith’s father could see the man his son had become.

  “Alright, my turn!” Coran cried, shoving his forward. Unlike the others, it was not in a box but wrapped in a simple red scarf. Keith unraveled it to reveal two long, curved blades, so sharp and shining that they took Shiro’s breath away.

  “Wow,” Keith whispered. “Coran… This is… These are beautiful. Where’d you get them?” He carefully rotated them in the light, then jabbed the air experimentally.

  Coran gave Allura a smug look. “I bargained with a group of Translaxian merchants. Those blades are three thousand years old. The last remnants of a warrior culture long gone.”

  “The last time Coran tried to bargain with those merchants, he nearly lost a finger,” Allura groaned, rolling her eyes.

  “This time I didn’t!” Coran harrumphed.

  “I’m glad. Thank you, Coran,” Keith said, placing the blades down reverently.

  Coran shrugged. “Great weapons for a great warrior,” he supposed.

  Keith blushed vibrantly. “Anyone _else_ gonna say something nice to me today?” He mumbled when they all stared at him affectionately.

  “Nope,” Pidge assured him, sliding over another box. “I’m just gonna give you this.”

  Keith opened it and immediately pulled out a thin booklet. Shiro leaned over to peer at the cover, and gasped. “Pidge,” Keith gaped. “Are these comic books? Where did you get comic books? How did you know I liked comic books?”

   Pidge crossed her arms, squirming a bit in her chair as they all gawked at her. “When we saved Shiro and brought him back to your place, I saw the stack of comic books in the corner. As for those, well, I… Uh… I may have… Wrote them?” Instantly, there was shouting from Lance, Hunk and Keith.

  “You what?”

  “You write? You _draw_?”

  “Where are my comic books?” Shiro leaned over to see the intricate drawings as Keith thumbed through the first four copies.

  “You never cease to amaze, Pidge,” he whistled, impressed.

   “I’ll read them all tonight,” Keith swore. “I know they’re going to be spectacular.”

  Pidge blushed. “I hope you like them.”

  “I will. I know I will,” Keith’s smile was at once shy and sweet. “Thanks Pidge. You have no idea how much I’ve missed reading.”

  “You can read?”

  “Shut up Lance.”

  “Alright, Shiro, you’re last. And yours is going to be the one which dwarfs all of ours and makes us feel inadequate so you might as well just get it over with,” Hunk said, but his playful grin belied the words.

   Shiro ran a thumb over the framed documentation in his lap, hidden under a handkerchief. He had been excited to give Keith this present all night now, but suddenly he was hesitant. What if Keith didn’t want this? What if it seemed more like an imposition – an assumption – after all that had happened? “It isn’t that great,” he assured Hunk. “Keith’s an adult now, after all. Adults don’t typically get cool presents. They get socks.”

   Keith was unconvinced. “You got me socks?”

  “Nevertheless,” he continued, ignoring Keith’s snark. He slid it over, trying to act nonchalant. “You still might want to open mine in private,” if Keith did have a negative reaction, at least he wouldn’t feel obliged to fake happiness in front of the others.

  “What!? No way! What’d you get him, Shiro? A pony?”

  “Does that thin, rectangular object _look_ like a pony, Lance?” Pidge drawled.

  Keith was studying him thoughtfully as the others rose from the table, collecting dirty dishes and preparing to take the cake out again. “I’d love whatever you got me, Shiro,” he told him in a low voice. “Even if it was just socks.”

  Shiro gave a lopsided smile and patted his hand. “I wouldn’t be that cruel buddy. Still, I think its best to wait until later. Let’s get more cake, hmm?” He plucked his and Keith’s plates, heading over to add them to the sudsy pile growing in the sink.

  Pidge gave him a strange look as he passed, but he shook his head minutely. _Don’t say anything._ She looked unhappy; but did not press him. Shiro felt gratitude spread through him. He did feel bad for having Pidge go through so much hard work only for him to chicken out, but he genuinely did not want to force his guardianship on Keith. Especially since he had grown used to a certain amount of independence. He was, as he had repeatedly mentioned just that night, an adult now. No longer the thirteen-year-old kid Shiro had first met. _It was probably a stupid idea anyway,_ he berated himself silently. _Presumptuous of me even back then and especially now._

  Suddenly, there was a hard thump and clatter behind him. “Keith!” Allura gasped.

  Shiro swiveled around, heart in his throat, to see Keith on his knees next to an upturned chair. It was as if he had just collapsed there, taking whatever was closest with him. Keith hardly seemed to have noticed. His gaze was locked onto the picture frame in front of him. Even from a distance, Shiro could see the miniscule tremble of his hands. His stomach dropped. “Keith?” He called softly.

  Keith raised his head slowly, as if waking from a dream. He bit his bottom lip, obviously struggling to retain his composure. “Shiro… A-are you serious? Is this _real?_ ” He whispered, voice cracking.

  “What? What is it?” Hunk demanded as he and Lance crowded around to look at the frame. Keith handed it over to them wordlessly, eyes still burrowing into Shiro, almost desperately. He nodded.

  “Yeah. I started the process before I went to Kerberos. You remember I was supposed to return around this time? I figured it would be finished while I was,” he waved his hand vaguely. “Away, and when I got home, I would give it to you for your Birthday. No one was going to refuse a dying hero, right? Obviously, that’s not how things happened,” a nervous laugh. “But it seems the paperwork went through anyway. I imagine no one told you because they didn’t want to bring up bad memories. Plus, you went MIA after the Garrison kicked you out, so how were they supposed to find you? Anyway, Pidge helped me hack CPS and get the official documentation. It doesn’t mean anything. You’re an adult now. It’s just that…”

  “Shiro,” Pidge interrupted him. “You’re rambling.”

  His mouth clicked shut. “Wait, you’re an orphan?!” Hunk cried, heartbroken.

  “Shiro adopted you?” Lance added, his voice pitched so high Shiro knew he was struggling between envy and warmth.

  Keith ran a trembling hand across his eyes. “And you choose _now_ to tell me? Damn it, Shiro, I can’t even... I don’t…”

  “You don’t have to accept it, Keith,” Shiro hurried to assure him. “I won’t be mad. It was one thing before Kerberos, but I understand if…”

  “You idiot,” Keith scoffed thickly. “Did you honestly believe I would refuse?”

  Shiro shifted feet awkwardly. He wasn’t sure if he was supposed to answer that or not.

  Thankfully, they still weren’t alone in the room. “Wait, what about the rest of us?” Lance demanded as Allura and Coran peered over his shoulders, brows crinkled. Did they have a concept of adoption on Altea? he wondered. Does orphan mean the same thing to them as it did to humanity?

  “Shiro is going to adopt us next,” Pidge informed him.

  Lance and Hunk nodded sagely. “Oh, good.”

  Shiro groaned. “Can I have Shiro for more than fifteen seconds please?” Keith yelled. In the next second, he was stumbling upright.

  “Umph!” Shiro gasped as Keith rammed into him with all the vehemence of a speeding train. His hands came up, wrapping around Shiro’s shoulders tight enough to squeeze the breath from him. Shiro raised his arms slowly, setting them on Keith’s shoulder blades. “It doesn’t mean much,” he mumbled into his thick hair. “Nothing will change. I just wanted to prove what I’ve always been saying. I won’t give up on you. I won’t leave you. You’re important to me. Always.”

  Keith’s arms tightened, momentarily cutting off his air supply. “Idiot!” He growled, and there were definitely tears in his voice. Shiro tried not to smile. “Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. This means everything to me. Without you, I never would have even… I-I don’t know what to say. Thank you. Truly.”

  “Ahhhh!” Lance cooed. Shiro felt himself blushing.

  Pidge came up and tapped Keith on the shoulder thoughtfully. “Actually, Keith, I had an idea. Since we’re all family now, maybe we can all sign your adoption papers?” She asked, quietly.

  Shiro’s heart melted. “Yeah!” Hunk agreed instantly. Something in Keith’s expression must have tempered his reaction. He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “I mean, if you want us too. Your life, totally your choice.”

  Keith turned back to them, swiping his eyes quickly. He examined them each, one by one, testing for something. Shiro put his hands on his shoulders. He knew how hard it was for Keith to allow anyone in, to place his faith in people. Even the people whom he trusted with his life and psychic being on a daily basis. _C’mon, Keith please... Let yourself have friends. Let yourself have a family again…_

   “You guys… You really want too?” Keith asked, at last. Pidge’s ironic glower was answer enough. Lance snorted, and Hunk just smiled angelically.

  Keith’s eyes found his face and Shiro shrugged. “Hey, I already made my decision. You’ve been my family for a long time now.”

  Keith just nodded. “Likewise,” then he regarded the others again, and the shyest, most delighted smile split his face in two. “Do it. I’d be honored,” he said softly, waving at the frame still in Lance’s hands.

  “Honor’s all ours, buddy,” Lance whooped, carefully extracting the paper from the frame as Pidge ran to collect something to write with. “What are we gonna call ourselves? Space family?”

  “That implies we’re only family so long as we’re in space,” Pidge pointed out. “When we hit Earth, I’m still expecting you guys to acknowledge my genius.” Shiro and Keith exchanged a smile.

  “Voltron family?” Hunk suggested.

  “I don’t understand,” Allura broke in, brows still furrowed. “Do humans not see each other as family until it is documented?”

  “Not exactly,” Shiro began. He left the others to continue naming themselves and explained the concept of adoption to Allura and Coran. By the time he was finished, Lance and Pidge had already scrawled their names beneath Shiro’s. Keith watched, eyes aglow with a happiness Shiro had rarely ever seen.

  “I still think we should be the Voltron Family, you guys,” Hunk was arguing, signing his name with a triumphant scratch. “Makes senses, doesn’t it? Shiro, back me up here.”

  “I agree with whatever you all decide.”

  “Yeah, that’s Shiro for everyone listen to Hunk.”

  “It is not!”

  “Face facts, Lance. Simple is sometimes best.”

  “Allura? Coran?” Keith invited, tapping the documentation. Shiro could have cheered. Both grinned and obeyed without word.

  “There!” Pidge cried, plopping it back behind glass. “Now we’re all officially family. Happy birthday Keith,” she handed it back to him.

  Keith held it with as much reverence as he had the blades. “This means a lot to me. Thanks guys,” he breathed, running fingers over the glass quietly.

  “Alright, alright, now we get cake,” Lance declared.

  “How do you even have room in your stomach for it?” Shiro groaned, suddenly remembering how painfully full he was.

  Lance gave him an incredulous look. “Shiro, one must always leave room and time for cake,” he scolded wisely. Shiro laughed and shook his head. Hunk and Pidge wandered into the kitchen to begin passing out slices. Meanwhile, Coran named off the ingredients that he had used to Lance and Allura, making both titter as he stumbled over the pronunciation of a few words.

  Shiro stood back and observed them. When he had accepted the Kerberos mission, he had never expected it to end like this. Surrounded by incredible people and given the opportunity to save millions. _It’s almost worth it,_ he realized, glancing down at his arm. _Maybe one day it will be completely._

“Shiro?” He looked down at Keith, who was also watching the proceedings with a soft smile. “I know I’ve said it before, but… Thank you. For everything. Just… Thanks,” he breathed. Shiro laid a hand on his shoulder. _No, it’s worth it._

  “We’re just getting started.”


End file.
